Business View Magazine - October 2018

182 183 PREFERRED VENDOR n The LiRo Group www.liro.com CITY OF LACKAWANNA, NEWYORK other issues. And while there are challenges you don’t have on a greenfield site, there are a lot of advantages, as well. The prop- erty offers one-acre, 75-acre, and 100-acre sites available in an industrial setting with port, rail, and highway access, and a skilled labor force. Even community leaders in Buffalo and other parts of Western New York have come to understand the tremendous economic impact the Bethlehem Steel site project will have for the whole region–par- ticularly the huge employment potential. There is also a significant environmental component to the redevelopment. As Whyte explains, “We’ve gone forward with some plans on the Bethlehem Steel site to con- struct a net-zero building, which would lease space to start-ups and smaller companies. The idea is to promote a green energy and infrastructure model for development on the site –we feel that is important, given the rust belt’s history.” Poloncarz adds, “One of the biggest wind farms on the Great Lakes is already oper- ating on the site. And there is a large solar farm, as well. The plan is to take what was one of the dirtiest old industry locations and turn it into a high-tech, clean, green, eco- nomic development site.” So, what should the world know about the ‘real Lackawanna’? Poloncarz: “As someone who graduated from Lackawanna high school and knows the history, it’s a proud community that went through some very dark times. It took three decades, but now the City can see a bright future ahead.” Shapiro: “We’re having a bit of a housing boom.When we have houses for sale, they are going quickly and for more than the assessed value, which is a positive trend and shows we are on the right track as far as economic development. In the last 20 years, we’ve had a lot of brain drain in the Lacka- wanna-Buffalo area. Our brightest minds found jobs after college in other communities that were growing. Those people now want to come back because this area is a great place to raise a fami- ly, even though the media doesn’t always portray us that way.” Cappellino: “I’ve been involved in economic development for thirty years and this is the most exciting time I can remember - especially, the re- birth of the Bethlehem Steel property and what it means going forward. It gives us an opportu- nity to be on the forefront of green energy and advanced manufacturing.We have a site with world-class assets and we’re in a position to take advantage of that.We’re finally at the crossroads, where the time and opportunity are right.”